


Higher Education

by kethni



Category: Veep (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22740280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni
Summary: ‘And where is all your right-on pretend “woke” bullshit getting you? Huh?’ Ben asked. ‘Go get fucking laid some other way.’‘My sex life and my political opinions are completely distinct,’ Kent said.‘No shit,’ Ben said. ‘What sex life?’‘Some people have a strange desire to keep their private life private.’Ben heaved himself to his feet. ‘Did you make a move on that chick yet?’Kent stood up. ‘What “chick”?’They headed to the exit.‘What, you’ve got more than one student you wanna fuck?’ Ben asked.‘I don’t have any,’ Kent said unconvincingly.‘Gimmie a break,’ Ben sneered. ‘If you were any more obvious in how much you want to fuck her you be sexually harassing her from three rooms away.’Kent went white. ‘You think I’m harassing her?’‘Ha! You admit you wanna fuck her!’ Ben said triumphantly.‘Can you stick to the point?’ Kent snapped.
Relationships: Kent Davison/Sue Wilson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Higher Education

**Author's Note:**

> For CrazyMaryT. Sorry it wasn't what I hoped for.

Bees swarmed around the blooming flowers. The geese hissed and honked at anyone injudicious enough to approach their goslings.

Sue Wilson tried to stay awake. She wasn’t hungover. She had too many things to do. She hadn’t slept well. 

‘Are you going to ditch Davison’s class?’ Amy asked.

Sue looked at her friend. Amy was going through a philosophy phase and was dressed all in black.

‘No,’ Sue said firmly. ‘I need the credits.’

Amy snorted. ‘That’s not what Dan says you need.’

Sue pursed her lips. ‘Why are you wasting your time again on Dan?’

Amy took a gulp of her soda. 'It’s not a thing. Don’t say it like it’s a thing.’

Sue checked her watch. She was on schedule. ‘After the last time he cheated on you –’

‘We had a conversation, that’s all,’ she said. ‘It was barely a conversation.’

‘He’ll cheat on you again.’

‘You’re making a mountain out of not even a molehill. Like a couple grains of soil.’

Sue pursed her tips. Perhaps it was time for the big guns.

‘He gave you genital warts.’

Amy spun to face her. ‘I told you that in confidence!’

‘ln confidence means I don’t tell anyone else. It doesn’t mean I can’t mention it to you.’

Amy threw up her arms, spilling soda. ‘Whatever! Just don’t came all holier-than-me. At least I don’t wanna pork my professor.’

Sue thought about it. ‘Professor Meyer is married. Although I suppose she could still enjoy sex with women.’

‘You know that’s not the point,' Amy argued. ‘Also, yuck. I don’t want to touch something that’s touched her gross husband.’

‘It does seem unsanitary,’ Sue said.

They opened the doors and walked inside the building.

‘You look like hell,’ Amy said. ‘Were you up studying all night? Whatever. You should blow off Davison’s class, but you won’t, because you wanna bang him, and you think he won’t like you if you cut class.’

Sue set her shoulders. ‘You’re being ridiculous. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to class.’

It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with Professor Davison. There certainly didn’t appear to be. No. But Sue was a serious and dedicated student. She had plans. She had ambitions. Plus, affairs with faculty members were strictly, definitely against the rules. Unfortunately.

Sue arrived five minutes before class started, right on schedule. The door was open, so she went inside. Professor Davison was organising his paperwork. He was frowning when he looked up but smiled when he saw it was her.

‘Miss Wilson, good morning. You’re slightly early.’

Sue clasped her hands together. ‘Is there anything I can help you with?"

His eyes flickered for a second. Perhaps he was, very discreetly, checking her out, or perhaps he was simply distracted for a moment.

'You might put these handouts on the desks. Thank you.’

Sue allowed herself a small smile. ‘Of course, Professor.’

***

Fucking Ryan was getting right on his tits. Look, Ben was no god damn virgin tiptoeing through the daisies. Okay? He’d been around. He didn’t expect decency, kindness, or goodness. But when some shit-for-brains freshman pulled blackmail bullshit they normally had the good taste to turn up on time.

‘That’s what’s bothering you?’ Davison asked. They were having lunch off-campus. In Davison’s case it was some kind of fish thing with vegetables. For Ben it was three beers.

‘It’s fucking rude to be nearly forty minutes late,’ Ben said.

‘He’s a student,’ Kent said. ‘Their concept of time is different. Also, and I feel that I haven’t emphasised this enough, he’s blackmailing you. “Rude” is a bridge that has already been crossed, burnt, and throw down into the water.’

Ben scowled. It was a habitual expression and came to him easily. ‘He’s attempting to blackmail us.’

‘Not me,’ Davison said. ln as much as his tone ever betrayed his feelings, if he had feelings, he seemed a tiny little bit smug.

‘Look, we needed the support of the community and reaching out to less academically gifted students does that.’

Davison raised his eyebrows. ‘That’s an argument for recruiting from the inner cities and other economically disadvantaged groups. Not for allowing the idiot offspring of the very wealthy get a place in exchange for huge donations.’

Ben shrugged. ‘Amber didn’t think it would fly either.’

‘Well, I’m sure a fifteen-year-old waitress from Hooters has at least as solid a grasp on college economic policy as I do.’

Ben scowled again. ‘At least I date interesting women. When was the last time you had a date?’

‘Dear Lord, what definition of “interesting” are you using?’

‘Conversations about things besides economics or whatever your idea of a woman talks about. Theorems and theories.’

Kent took a bite of food. ‘Isn’t allowing wealthy sponsors to purchase places quite common? Why does this boy think it’s worth blackmail?’

Ben sighed. ‘Because we missed our diversity target by a huge amount and he can prove we passed over black, Hispanic, and Asian students in favour of rich white ones. This is not just threatening to go public but to send all the memos and shit to that law firm. The one that wants to sue us.’

Kent rubbed his forehead. ‘I frequently wonder if I am on the wrong side of history.’

‘We need the money!’

‘We are actively discriminating against non-white students,’ Kent snapped. ‘The root cause is racism, even if your motivation isn’t, and the effect is racist.’

Ben went puce. ‘Are you calling me a racist? Are you fucking calling me a racist?’

‘I’m saying the fact that so few rich students are non-white is due to decades of systemic racism and –’

‘If I want to hear that bullshit, I’d fuck Meyer,’ Ben growled.

‘She has a point,’ Kent said.

‘She has two of them, but I don’t want them anywhere near me.’

Kent’s lip curled up in disgust. ‘Are you physically incapable of restraining your innate misogyny for more than ten minutes in total?’

‘Hey! I love women, I’ve married enough of them.’

‘By that logic, Henry the Eighth, is a feminist icon.’

Ben drained his beer. ‘By your fucking logic anyone who fucking mentions female anatomy is a misogynist!’

‘Only the way you mention it,’ Kent said tartly.

‘And where is all your right-on pretend “woke” bullshit getting you? Huh?’ Ben asked. ‘Go get fucking laid some other way.’

‘My sex life and my political opinions are completely distinct,’ Kent said.

‘No shit,’ Ben said. ‘What sex life?’

‘Some people have a strange desire to keep their private life _private_.’

Ben heaved himself to his feet. ‘Did you make a move on that chick yet?’

Kent stood up. ‘What “chick”?’

They headed to the exit.

‘What, you’ve got more than one student you wanna fuck?’ Ben asked.

‘I don’t have any,’ Kent said unconvincingly.

‘Gimmie a break,’ Ben sneered. ‘If you were any more obvious in how much you want to fuck her you be sexually harassing her from three rooms away.’

Kent went white. ‘You think I’m harassing her?’

‘Ha! You admit you wanna fuck her!’ Ben said triumphantly.

‘Can you stick to the point?’ Kent snapped.

Ben adjusted his waistband. ‘How would I know? I don’t see you in class with her.’ He took in Kent’s expression and body language. ‘Does she avoid you? Seem uncomfortable around you?’

Kent shook his head. ‘She always arrives to class early and generally asks if she can help me set up.’

Ben gave him a sideways look. ‘Is she sucking up or trying to get your engine revving?’

‘I don’t know,’ Kent said, reddening. ‘And largely irrelevant since she is a student and I a faculty member.’

Ben snorted. ‘Yeah. Faculty never fuck their students. That’d never happen.’

***

Kent was packing up his equipment when a shadow fell across the podium, proceeded by the stench of Axe body spray. Ugh.

Kent sighed. ‘Yes?’

‘I was wanting to talk to you.’

Kent looked up. ‘We are talking, Mr Ryan. This is us, talking.’

The boy had the hunched shoulders of someone chronically attempting to hide their height. He hadn’t grown into his stature, which was odd from a person his age. It was oddly appropriate for someone with his immaturity and stunted social awareness. Kent was aware, all too aware, that his own social skills were not as sharp as he would like, however Jonah Ryan seemed actively to work against social bonding. He was an angry, ignorant, and entitled young man. Exactly the person Kent didn’t want to be talking to.

Ryan glanced around and then leaned closer. ‘I mean privately!’

Kent narrowed his eyes. ‘We are alone in the room. How much more private do you wish to be, and why?’

Ryan hunched his shoulders even more. ‘Because I figure you don’t want some rando wandering in and finding out what you’ve been doing.’

Kent looked at him blankly. ‘I have no idea what you are talking about. The fact that your speech is as chaotic and unclear as your assignments is disappointing, but not surprising.’

Ryan straightened up abruptly. ‘I know what you’ve been up to. I could tell on you and get you in all kinds of trouble.’

Kent put his hands on his hips. ‘Get out.’

‘I’m not bluffing!’ Ryan waved an arm. ‘I don’t want to do this but you’re being totally unfair! I work really hard and you’re flunking me!’

‘Your last assignment was half the required length and covered in pizza!’ Kent snapped. ‘You are the reason that you are flunking this class, and I must assume your other classes.’

‘I’ll tell everyone about you and Sue Wilson!’ Ryan burst.

Kent clenched his jaw. ‘What are you talking about?’

Ryan’s grin was desperate. ‘I know you’re fucking her. I see the way you make goo-goo eyes at her.’

‘Bullshit.’

Ryan reddened at the unexpected brutal language. ‘I’ve got photographs.’

‘You can’t have photographs of something that didn’t happen,’ Kent sneered.

Ryan scrabbled in his bag and pulled out a handful of photographs. He threw them onto the desk. ‘I have others and I have copies!’

Kent scooped them up. They were grainy and poor quality, but he was clearly identifiable, as was Sue. They were always standing close, sometimes much too close, and in several he was touching her hand, her shoulder, or her back. It was nothing definitive, but it was extremely suggestive. He suspected that would be enough to give the board reason to review his employment. In the current climate even the suggestion of inappropriate behaviour had to be avoided at all costs.

‘These prove nothing,’ Kent said, putting the photographs in his briefcase.

‘Give those back!’

Kent tilted his head. ‘You have copies, don’t you?’

Ryan went white. ‘I... just... just give me better grades, okay? I won’t say anything. Nobody will have to know. She won’t have to know. Everyone is happy.’

Kent raised his eyebrows. ‘She doesn’t need to know? Is there some reason that I shouldn’t tell Miss Wilson about this?’

Ryan tightly folded his arms. ‘I’m not afraid of Sue.’

Kent tried to restrain a smile. ‘Mr Ryan, these prove nothing, and they cannot prove anything since we have done nothing wrong. I suggest that instead of poorly thought-out attempts at blackmail you apply yourself to your work.’

‘My photographs –’

‘The ones you have copies of?’

Ryan took a step back. ‘You’re not going to tell Sue though, right?’

‘If you didn’t wish her to know then you shouldn’t have taken photographs of her without her permission. I will however encourage her to treat this entire situation with the disdain that it requires.’

Jonah Ryan blinked stupidly.

‘Go away,’ Kent said slowly and clearly. ‘Do not speak to me again.’

***

Amy had completely emptied her room and dumped everything in the living room. Sue stood in the doorway to Amy’s room and put her hands on her waist.

‘Are you having a psychotic break?’ Sue asked.

‘I can’t find my phone!’

‘Then just one of your regular breakdowns,’ Sue sniffed.

‘It’s not funny!’

‘I’m not laughing.’ Sue said severely.

There was a sharp rap from the front door.

‘I’ll check the kitchen,’ Amy said.

‘Please do not rip out the stove,’ Sue said, heading to the front door.

‘We’ll see,’ Amy mumbled.

The door had several locks and bolts. Sue didn’t understand why student accommodation should be so attractive to burglars, but the statistics were clear. So, she was cautious as she unlocked the door and drew back the bolts.

He was looking down at his feet when the door swung back.

Sue blinked. Out of context, out of a lecture hall, he looked younger, less confident, and much more approachable.

‘Professor Davison?’ Sue asked. She realised that he was wearing jeans, and that several buttons on his shirt were undone, showing a few inches of an olive-green t-shirt.

‘Miss Wilson. I apologise for coming to your home,’ he said. ‘I need to speak to you urgently.’

Sue hesitated. Amy was inside, but there were dozens of students living nearby. Any of them might appear at any moment.

‘Very well,’ she said, stepping aside. ‘How did you know where I lived?’

‘I was aware that Miss Brookheimer was your roommate,’ he said. ‘Professor Meyer routinely has work delivered directly to Miss Brookheimer. She had Miss Brookheimer’s address on the notice board.’

Sue showed him into the living room. There was no sign of Amy.

‘Spring cleaning?’ Professor Davison asked, looking at the piles of books and clothes.

‘Amy has lost her cell,’ Sue said. ‘I have no idea how since she rarely let’s go of it.’

‘Ah.’ He licked his lips.

Sue waited.

‘Do you know Jonah Ryan?’ he asked.

Sue’s lip curled. ‘Unfortunately, yes. He is not someone with whom I voluntarily choose to spend my time.’

She could think of people she would rather spend time, preferably not discussing Jonah Ryan.

Professor Davison nodded. ‘Indeed.’ He swallowed. ‘Mr Ryan is flunking my class, as you know.’

Sue nodded. ‘He’s an idiot.’

‘Indeed. An idiot who thought the best solution to his problem was to attempt to blackmail me.’

Sue blinked in surprise. ‘What does he think that you’re doing?’

He took a breath and looked in the eye. ‘Behaving inappropriately with you.’

Sue swallowed. Her mouth was suddenly dry, and her skin was burning hot.

‘That’s nonsense,’ she managed.

He nodded too quickly. Nervously. ‘He threw some photographs at me as if their mere existence were proof of something more.’

Sue leaned back against the wall. ‘Photographs of what?’

As he reached into his pocket, she noticed that his hands were shaking. He handed her five photographs. They were oddly shaped, square, and with a thick white border at the bottom. Sue set her jaw as she looked at them.

‘These are... completely harmless,’ she shuffled the photographs, concentrating on a photograph of him leaning in close to her. In the photograph she was looking up at his face while he looked at something she was holding. His hand was resting in the small of her back. She remembered that day. She remembered the way the warmth of his body radiating through her blouse. She remembered the feeling as his thumb gently stroked her back.

‘Yes,’ Professor Davison said. ‘I told him it wasn’t possible to have photographs of a non-existent event.’

‘What did you do?’ she forced herself to look him in the eye.

‘Confiscated the photographs and told him to apply himself to his work,’ he said. ‘He begged me not to tell you. I told him I would.’

Sue put the uppermost photograph in her back pocket. Professor Davison started to say something and then changed his mind.

‘But he must have other photographs? On his phone or whatever.’

‘No, he destroyed his cell when he dropped in the toilet last week,’ Professor Davison said, shaking his head. ‘He used it as an excuse for his last assignment being late. His camera was stolen last month.’

Sue nodded. ‘He made a huge fuss. These were taken how?’

He gave her an odd look. ‘They’re Polaroids.’

Sue looked at him blankly. ‘Polaroids?’

He sighed. ‘Instant photographs. They don’t have negatives and copies can’t be made.’

‘Is that why they’re the strange shape? I’ve never seen one before.’

A little tinge of pink rose in his cheeks. ‘Well, you’re young.’

She handed him the remaining pictures. ‘Will he be disciplined?’

Davison’s shoulders tensed. ‘I haven’t reported him officially. We haven’t done anything wrong, however... questions would be asked, and Mr Ryan’s alternative approach to altering his grades is not limited to my class.’

Sue looked at him blankly. ‘What?’

‘He’s attempting to blackmail the college over a different situation,’ Professor Davison said. ‘Please don’t tell anyone I told you that.’

Sue clasped her hands together. ‘Are you going to ask me to be quiet about this?’

He flinched. ‘Mr Ryan’s attempt to blackmail me? No. If my primary focus was stopping you from speaking out, I simply wouldn’t have told you.’

The injured tone made her spine stiffen. She forced her own tone to lighten. ‘You won’t mind if I beat him to death?’ she asked.

‘Not at all.’

***

Sue’s politics were that she didn’t do politics. The expectation that her very existence was a political statement was enough to push her to refuse to engage. She didn’t represent her gender, her religion, or her race. She represented herself and nothing else. She fought with her mother, her friends, and her lovers over her refusal to make her personal political and politics personal.

However, the Black Student Union was more than a political forum, it was also a social hub. Much more importantly, it would round out her resume. Academically she was solid, but she had been told that her networking needed more polish. That was… annoying. Nonetheless, she was not a woman to allow mere irritation to keep her from her goals.

Richard Splett was irritating at best. She was mystified how he had risen to the dizzy heights of vice president of the Black Student Union. She was quite sure that George Maddox had become the president by droning ceaselessly until everyone else gave in. Neither of them was what Sue would call inspiring, or even leaders.

She attempted to pay attention as they droned on and on. However, between the badly structured arguments and the monotone droning it was utterly impossible. She found herself thinking instead of Professor Davison. The way that he filled the jeans he was wearing when he came to her rooms. The way he said her name. The way he looked at her in the photograph that he’d shown her.

Sue wasn’t naïve. She knew that faculty sleeping with students was frowned upon. She also knew that there were at least eight students sleeping with faculty members and three more faculty members who were too “friendly” in the unfriendliest manner. Professor Davison had never done that. There was no leering. No creeping infiltration of her space. No slow undermining of her agency. No gaslighting. He treated her with respect and dignity.

When they stood talking before class, she knew that she stood too close to him. She knew because she could feel the warmth of his skin on her own. It was always her who stood too close. It was always Kent who took a half step back, but no further. She was the one who pushed, and he was always the one who withdrew, but not as much as he should. Never as much as he should.

***

Kent starred at himself in the mirror. It was all very well going to a bar with Ben. He had done that before. Sometimes he had even enjoyed it. Admittedly mostly when Ben met someone early in the evening and wandered off with her. Kent would not have described himself as an introvert. He had often thought that the distinction between introvert and extrovert was too binary and simplistic. Everyone required a certain level of social interaction. Too much was overwhelming and too little invited loneliness. It was simply that the levels of interaction varied from person to person. Nonetheless, Ben could be overpowering, even when he was actually attempting to be friendly. Sometimes especially when he was attempting to be friendly.

Going out to a bar with Ben was not the issue. The issue was going out to a bar with Ben with the express intention of meeting women. Just thinking about it filled Kent’s stomach with cement. He was not particularly confident with women, least of all with women that he didn’t know. Kent had been told that he was an acquired taste. This has not in fact been meant as offensive although it had stung him a little. Realistically he knew that he was not charming or charismatic. Yet deep down he rather hoped that other people saw something positive and engaging in him that he didn’t see in himself.

Ben insisted that it was the best way to distance and distract himself from Miss Wilson. Kent had heard that logic before and found it collided directly with his ethical objections to dating anyone while harbouring feelings for another party. Nonetheless, Ben could be annoying if he was fixated on something and, though Kent was sure that nothing would come of it, he thought it prudent to go through the motions. Ben would lose interest quickly enough. 

Sue disliked bars. She didn’t dislike drinking. Drinking was one of the few times that she felt genuinely relaxed. No, what she disliked was the noise, the crowds, and most of all the prices. Not that she was forced to buy her own drinks, but Sue had a code. She never accepted a drink from a man to whom she wouldn’t talk. She had her pride. Also, she never accepted drinks from men who looked creepy. That was just good sense.

Amy accepted drinks from the latter but not the former. She would take the drink and, when the sender inevitably attempted to talk to her, she would scowl and swear at them until they abandoned the attempt. It was surprisingly successful but, as Sue had pointed out, it only worked once and the pool of men willing to chance their arm on it was already running dry.

Amy insisted that they go out. She always did when she and Dan had “encountered” one another. Those encounters always seemed to end with Amy feeling desperately in need of male validation, and Sue desperately in need of some other topic of conversation.

‘You can maybe meet someone,’ Amy suggested as they approached the bar. ‘A cute student. A rich, cute student.’

‘I have no interest in meeting anyone,’ Sue said firmly. ‘Least of all some boy who spends his time hanging around bars.’

‘It’s a nice bar. Grownups drink here.’

Sue pursed her lips. ‘Please tell me this isn’t a faculty bar.’

Amy shrugged. ‘I don’t think there are faculty bars. I think they sit in their offices and drink.’

‘What a charming image.’

‘Professor Meyer does anyway. I know that.’

Sue pulled a face. ‘Professor Meyer has every reason to drink.’

‘At least we know Jonah won’t be in there.’

They shared a moment of silent disgust at the thought of Jonah. 

‘He attempted to blackmail Professor Davison,’ Sue said eventually.

‘With what?’ Amy asked baffled. ‘Being boring isn’t a crime.’

Sue flicked back her hair. ‘He had these ridiculous photographs of us talking. He somehow thought that proved we were seeing each other.’

Amy gave her a sideways look. ‘What were you wearing in these photographs?’

‘Clothes, Amy.’ Sue opened the door to the bar. ‘They were all photographs from class. I have never done anything inappropriate with Professor Davison.’

‘You could sound less regretful saying that,’ Amy pointed out.

Sue narrowed her eyes. ‘I refuse to be lectured on my relationships, or lack thereof, by a woman who has entangled with Dan Egan and done so _repeatedly_.’

‘That was uncalled for.’

***

Kent was nursing a whiskey. Ben did not approve.

‘You’ll never make moves on anyone like that,’ Ben said. ‘You need at least another three.’

‘If I drink another three I’ll spend the evening asleep,’ Kent retorted.

‘As long as you’re sleeping off some hot chick.’

Kent shot him a look.

‘What?’

‘I am attempting to parse what terrible chain of events led me to consider a man who has just referred to women as “hot chicks” to be a friend.’

Ben shrugged. ‘I’m just unlucky.’

‘Right.’ Kent leaned back in his seat. ‘You’re unlucky.’

‘And a better friend than you deserve,’ Ben added.

‘ _Excuse me_?’

‘You heard me.’

Kent shook his head. ‘I did. I am unsure why I am surprised and yet here I am.’

Ben stood up and adjusted his trousers. ‘It’s that lack of self-awareness that probably stops you getting anywhere with women.’

Kent rolled his eyes. ‘Naturally you are an _expert_ on women.’

‘I’ve dated more women than I can count,’ Ben said. ‘So next to you I’m a fucking genius.’

‘You’ve _married_ more women then you can count,’ Kent said. ‘You have to take your shoes and socks off to count to twenty.’

‘A genius on women,’ Ben said. ‘You can keep your math skills.’

‘And that is why I will retire with a healthy pension while you will have to work until you’re ninety sleeping on the sofas of your many and varied estranged children.’

Ben drained his glass. ‘I’m getting you another drink.’

‘I’m not ready for another.’

‘Get ready,’ Ben said. ‘Keep up or I’m gonna pour them down you with a funnel.’

Kent pursed his lips. ‘You’re right. _Clearly_ you’re a better friend than I deserve.’

‘Told you.’

Kent ignored this and paid no attention as Ben wandered over to the bar. He was more interested in the two young women who had walked into the bar. He couldn’t recall ever seeing students here before. In fairness, Kent was not a frequent visitor of bars generally, but he also was quite sure that Ben wouldn’t come here if students were common. Ben barely tolerated students during college hours. He certainly didn’t interact with them in his own time, unless he was dating them.

***

Sue saw Ben, first. Anyone would have noticed Ben first. He had a way of attracting attention. Some people were like that. Some were charming, some were beautiful, and some were loud. Ben, at this point in the evening, was most definitely the latter.

‘Oh for fuck’s sake,’ Amy muttered. ‘Let’s go.’

‘No,’ Sue said, noticing Kent on the other side of the bar. ‘Let’s have a drink.’

Amy followed Sue’s gaze. ‘Ugh. Fine. I’ll be your wingman.’

‘Woman.’

‘Whatever. You better buy me all my drinks. You owe me.’

Professor Davison straightened up as they walked over. That was unsurprising however it was still gratifying. Sue liked that he gave no impression of taking her for granted. That was far too common a failing with men.

He stood up as they got close and rubbed his hands together.

‘This is a pleasant surprise,’ he said.

‘Yeah. Thrilling,’ Amy muttered.

‘Are you meeting someone?’ he suggested. ‘Perhaps you would like to join us for a drink.’

‘Thank you,’ Sue said graciously.

He smiled and pulled chairs out for both of them. ‘What would you like to drink?’

‘Is the beer good here?’ Amy asked.

‘I thought you had decided beer was too proletariat,’ Sue said tartly.

Amy ignored her tone. ‘Right. Do they have absinthe?’

Kent raised his eyebrows. ‘I will ask. Miss Wilson?’

‘A Martini,’ Sue said. She turned to Amy as Kent walked over to the bar. ‘Absinthe?’

‘What? I always wanted to try it but it’s insanely expensive.’ She flicked back her hair. ‘Davison wants to show off and impress you. It’d be dumb not to take advantage of that.’

Sue narrowed her eyes. ‘Don’t embarrass me.’

‘ _Me_ embarrass _you_. Okay, Sue. _I_ won’t get blackout drunk and throw myself at Davison.’

‘I’m not going to do that!’

‘You ordered a Martini,’ Amy said. ‘That’s your “getting trashed” drink.’

‘You ordered an absinthe, that’s at least twice as strong,’ Sue hissed.

‘It is?’

Sue swallowed her reply as the two men walked over carrying their drinks.

‘Never seen you in here before,’ Ben said heavily as he sat down.

‘We normally drink closer to home,’ Sue said. ‘Amy wanted a change.’

Amy was staring at her violently green drink in her glass. ‘College boys suck ass.’ 

‘Only if you ask them real nicely,’ Ben said.

‘Does anyone have a lighter?’ Amy asked.

‘What?’ Sue asked.

Kent crossed his legs. ‘They’re going to do it for you momentarily. They didn’t have the absinthe spoon and sugar cube immediately to hand, but they do have them.’

Sue sat back. ‘What is going on?’

‘Huh,’ Ben said. ‘Bunch of assholes making drinking into a huge fucking deal just to feel better about the fucking awful taste of absinthe.’

‘Traditionally a cube of sugar is melted slowly into a glass of absinthe,’ Kent explained. ‘The taste is, as with all taste, entirely down to the individual. Absinthe as a flavour can be divisive.’

Sue sipped her Martini. ‘Aniseed and melted sugar sounds revolting.’

Professor Davison chuckled. It made his eyes warm and soften. ‘Hopefully Miss Brookheimer will enjoy it.’

Amy smiled weakly as the server came out with the absinthe accoutrements.

***

Amy managed two mouthfuls of absinthe before turning almost as green as her drink.

‘Are you going to vomit?’ Sue asked.

Amy shook her head.

‘I spent half my college career throwing up,’ Ben said nostalgically. ‘At least you’re cost effective.’

‘I believe that it is the taste rather than the alcohol content nauseating Miss Brookheimer,’ Kent suggested.

‘She can’t take her drink,’ Sue said, sniffing.

Amy forced down the drink. ‘You’re so hot, why don’t you try it? There’s plenty left.’

Ben waved his finger. ‘Now come on, girls, this is adult stuff. If you’re gonna do this then it should be a bet, not a dare.’

Kent kicked his ankle.

‘Just for that, you’re gonna do it to,’ Ben grumbled.

‘Why on earth would I do that?’ Kent asked.

Ben grinned. ‘’Cos if you don’t then you lose the bet. Winner gets three wishes from the losers.’

‘Three wishes and alcohol poisoning,’ Kent said dryly.

‘It’s just two drinks,’ Ben protested. ‘I bet these girls pregamed more than that before they came out.’

‘Are you trying to get us drunk?’ Amy asked. ‘Because Sue sure as fuck needs it.’

‘Excuse me?’ Sue asked. ‘I do not _need_ to get drunk.’

Amy rolled her eyes. ‘Are you as scared of absinthe as you are of just admitting how you feel about –’

Sue grabbed the glass and took a gulp.

‘Not like shots!’ Amy said.

Too late. She didn’t realise how late until she was taking the second gulp. The burn from the first rose up her throat as she was gulping the second and swallowing became impossible.

‘Get some water!’ Kent ordered Ben, pulling Sue to her feet and patting her back.

‘Why is it my job?’ Ben grumbled.

‘Because this stupid bet was your idea,’ Kent growled. He pulled Sue to her feet and rubber her back.

‘Jesus, Sue, stop milking it,’ Amy muttered. ‘It’s not like you can actually choke on a liquid.’

‘She could aspirate on a liquid,’ Kent snapped. ‘Very easily.’

‘What the fuck does that even mean?’ Amy asked.

Ben thrust a glass at Sue. ‘It’s when you get liquid in your lungs after you cough or throw up or whatever.’

Sue sipped the water gratefully.

‘I hope you’re proud of yourself,’ Kent said to Ben. ‘We are entrusted with the safety of young people and _you_ suggest a drinking contest!’

Ben was quiet for a moment. ‘I didn’t know she was gonna do that. How am supposed to guess she’d try to show off? She seems like a smart girl.’

Sue straightened up and wiped her face. ‘I am a smart _woman_. That could have happened to anyone, Professor Cafferty, even you.’

He flushed and shuffled his feet.

She looked at Kent. ‘Professor Davison, perhaps you would be kind enough to walk me home.’

He nodded. ‘Of course.’

Amy rolled her eyes. Ben sat down heavily and nudged her.

‘Want something you can finish?’ he asked.

‘A beer would be great.’

***

Sue drew her jacket around her shoulders as they stepped out onto the street. It was still early but the temperature had already dropped a little.

‘Are you cold? Shall I find a cab for you?’ Professor Davison asked.

Sue looked at him. He looked more concerned than anything, although there was a hint of disappointment there too.

‘That’s not necessary,’ she said. ‘I’m fine to walk.’

‘I hope that Ben won’t lead Miss Brookheimer astray,’ he said.

Sue pursed her lips. ‘If anyone led Amy astray it was Dan Egan.’

‘That appears to be a remarkably common problem,’ Professor Davison said sourly. ‘I have at times wondered if the propensity for the very physically handsome to be entirely self-obsessed and narcissistic is merely a statistical anomaly or if there is something in the way that people react to the very good looking which encourages selfishness.’

Sue thought about it. ‘Perhaps men need a certain amount of rejection to become tolerable human beings.’

‘I would have said that seemed counter-intuitive,’ Professor Davison said. ‘However, given the specific example it seems a reasonable hypothesis.’

Sue bumped slightly against him as they walked. ‘On the other hand, I am sure that neither of us has experienced a significant amount of rejection and yet we are not narcissists.’

Professor Davison chuckled. ‘I’m sure you’re right about yourself but alas not me.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘Are you claiming to be a narcissist?’

‘No, I was attempting to be self-deprecating,’ he admitted. ‘I have certainly had my share of rejection.’

She glanced at him and smiled slightly. ‘I find that difficult to believe.’

‘I fear you are being kind.’

They stopped on a corner. Sue rubbed her hands together. ‘I am never kind.’

‘What, never?’

Sue tried to smother a smile. ‘Hardly ever,’ she allowed. ‘Is that important?’

He nodded. ‘I’m an old man. Kindness is far much important than beauty.’

‘Oh.’

Kent touched her forearm. ‘I think you’re being rather hard on yourself.’

‘I didn’t call myself old.’

He smiled. ‘Perhaps that was a little unkind to myself. I’m certainly not young.’

Sue pulled a face. ‘College boys are all wild pigs badly shaved and wrestled into clothes.’

He laughed aloud. ‘That is an arresting image. I wish I could deny the accuracy of it.’ He squared his shoulders. ‘We seem to have come to a halt.’

‘What do you mean?’ she asked nervously.

He tilted his head. ‘We’re not walking.’

‘Oh,’ she said, feeling her skin grow hot.

‘I live down there,’ Sue said.

He sighed. ‘You’re uncomfortable with my coming to your accommodations. That’s understandable. Sensible, I’m sure. Ladies do not have the same luxury of easy trust as men do. I must have made you very uneasy when I visited the other day. I will –’

‘No.’

‘No?’

Sue squared her shoulders. ‘I’m not uncomfortable with you knowing where I live. That isn’t why I stopped.’

He shrugged. ‘Then why?’

Sue was quiet for a moment. ‘I’m having a nice time with you and I’m not ready for it to end.’

She watched him think about it. If he said no because of Jonah’s idiotic blackmail attempt, then she would –

‘Perhaps we can go somewhere else and talk about it.’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’d like that.’

Kent smiled. She kissed him once, softly.

The End


End file.
